8 JUNE 13, 2019 RIDGEWOOD TIMES WWW.QNS.COM
Ridgewood tenant organizers cuff ed ‘Dognapper’
BY ROBERT POZARYCKI
RPOZARYCKI@QNS.COM
@ROBBPOZ
Detectives are sti l l
looking for the bikeriding
bandit who stole a
Yorkshire terrier off the front
porch of a Woodside home last
week.
According to the 108th
Precinct, the “dognapping”
occurred at around 4:30 p.m.
on June 5 in the area of 50th
Avenue and 66th Street.
Police sources said that the
pooch — named Jeter, in honor
of former New York Yankees
shortstop Derek Jeter — was
sitting on the porch as its 49-
year-old female owner was
bringing groceries into the
home.
While the owner was inside,
police said, the unidentified
thief walked up to the porch,
grabbed Jeter and fled the
scene in an unknown direction.
The owner walked back outside,
realized her dog was missing
and called police.
On its Twitter page June
7, the 108th Precinct posted
surveillance camera images of
the suspect, who could be seen
in one of the images riding a
bike.
Citing investigators, WABCTV
reported, the suspect could
face grand larceny charges if
and when he’s caught. As of
press time, police noted, there’s
no word on whether Jeter has
returned home.
Anyone with information
about the theft can call the
108th Precinct Detective Squad
at 718-784-5441.
BY MAX PARROTT
MPARROTT@SCHNEPSMEDIA.COM
@RIDGEWOODTIMES
Hundreds of tenant activists
barraged the state Capitol on
Tuesday as a part of the fi ght
to reform New York’s rent laws before
they expire on June 15.
When the protesters blocked the
entrance to the Senate and Assembly
chambers, scuffl es ensued and 61 of
them were arrested, including three
members of Ridgewood Tenants
Union (RTU).
RTU organizers Stacie Johnson,
Raquel Namuche and Ryan Hickey
traveled up to Albany as a part of
the Housing Justice for All Coalition,
a network of many of state housing
groups who are putting pressure on
legislators to pass all nine bills that
make up the universal rent control
legislative platform.
Public Advocate Jumaane Williams
Photo courtesy of Make the Road New York via Twitter
was also among those arrested in the
fracas.
Rowdy footage captured by The
Real Deal shows Assembly Sergeantat
Arms Wayne Jackson and a
security guard shoving through the
human blockade in order to get to the
chambers.
The housing advocates are pushing
state Senate and Assembly leadership
leave Governor Andrew Cuomo out
of the negotiations for the package of
bills and in order enough support to
pass all nine in both chambers before
it goes to the governor.
As a result of the activist’s eff orts
on June 4, Senate Majority Leader
Andrea Stewart-Cousins announced
that the Senate has “support for all
nine priority housing bills.” The state
legislature would reach a deal on the
bills June 11.
BY ROBERT POZARYCKI
RPOZARYCKI@RIDGEWOODTIMES.COM
@ROBBPOZ
Law enforcement agents raided an
illegal sports gambling offi ce in
Astoria last week and arrested
seven individuals connected to its
operation, prosecutors announced.
According to acting Queens District
Attorney John Ryan, the bookmaking
operation used an 800 number and a
wire room based in Costa Rica to take
illegal bets on sporting events from
January 2016 until the June 4 raid.
Leading the operation was
Centerpoint, Long Island resident
Michael Regan, 61, who Ryan said
acted as the alleged boss/bookmaker.
He employed five other Queens
residents arrested with him on
Tuesday: Robert Brieger, 70, of Rego
Park; Luan Bexheti, 47, of Astoria;
Gerald Schneider, 67, of Middle
Village; Robert Utnick, 54, of Bayside;
and Lisa Nino, 36, of Middle Village.
Also cuffed was another alleged
associate, John Ottomano, 53, of
Roslyn, Long Island.
They were each variously charged
in a 39-count indictment with
enterprise corruption, promoting
gambling and money laundering.
“This offi ce, working collaboratively
with our law enforcement colleagues,
have taken down a number of illegal
gambling operations over the years,”
Ryan said. “Putting these kinds of
illegal enterprises out of business
saves untold numbers of people from
fi nancial devastation.”
Law enforcement sources said
the NYPD Criminal Enterprise
Division began an investigation
into the Astoria sports book began
in January 2016 and used an array
of techniques to build their case
— including physical surveillance,
court-authorized wiretaps and
electronic eavesdropping.
In doing so, they were able to
intercept thousands of incriminating
conversations and text messages
related to the ring’s operation as well
as loan sharking.
The operation was based out of a
wire room located at 45-10 30th Ave.
in Astoria.
Police established that Regan
allegedly oversaw the entire
operation, taking a cut of every placed
bet for himself. Brieger allegedly
worked as Regan’s master agent,
head clerk and accounts manager,
while Bexheti — whom prosecutors
described as Regan’s “close associate”
— allegedly acted as a runner and
agent.
Authorities said that Schneider
allegedly served as agent and
manager of the Astoria wire room,
while Utnick and Ottomano allegedly
worked as agents and runners.
Finally, Nino allegedly acted as the
Astoria offi ce’s clerk and runner.
During the course of their
investigation, prosecutors said, NYPD
offi cers allegedly observed various
ring members meeting in Queens
and Nassau County and exchanging
money contained in white envelopes
or bags.
While arresting suspects in Queens
and Nassau County on Tuesday, police
seized gambling records along with
computers and $47,000 in cash.
Six of the seven suspects were
arraigned in Queens Criminal
Court on Tuesday and released on
their own recognizance; Brieger
was picked up in Costa Rica and is
awaiting extradition back to Queens.
Except for Brieger, the perpetrators
are due back in court on July 16.
“The NYPD and its law enforcement
partners are committed to
driving down crime beyond the
current historical lows in New
York City,” Police Commissioner
James O’Neill said. “It is due to this
cooperation that this investigation
involving enterprise corruption
has successfully resulted in this
indictment.”
Sports gambling remains illegal
in New York state, although one local
lawmaker is seeking to legalize it.
The wire room site on 30th
Avenue in Astoria
Photo via Google Maps
suspect still
on the lam
Illegal sports book ring busted
Photos via Twitter/@NYPD108Pct
The Yorkshire Terrier shown at
right, named Jeter, was allegedly
stolen by the man shown at left.
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